Disc drives are common data storage devices. A typical disc drive includes a housing that encloses a variety of disc drive components. The components include one or more rotating discs having data surfaces that are coated with a medium for storage of digital information in a plurality of circular, concentric data tracks. The discs are mounted on a spindle motor that causes the discs to spin and the data surfaces of the discs to pass under respective aerodynamic bearing sliders.
The sliders carry transducers, which write information to and read information from the data surfaces of the discs. The slider and transducer are often together referred to as a head. An actuator mechanism moves the heads from track to track across the surfaces of the discs under control of electronic circuitry. The actuator mechanism includes an actuator arm or e-block arm attached to a head gimbal assembly or suspension assembly for each slider. The suspension assembly includes a load beam and a gimbal. The load beam provides a preload force, which forces the head toward the disc surface. The gimbal is positioned between the slider and the load beam, or is integrated in the load beam, to provide a resilient connection that allows the slider to pitch and roll while following the topography of the disc.
Current attachment mechanisms for the suspension assembly do not allow for detachment and reuse. The existing attachment permanently deforms the hub and is not a reworkable process. In addition, the existing attachment is not conducive to the increasing use of non-metallic actuator arms and non-metallic suspension assemblies. For example, metallic ball swaging adds considerable mass and cost to a mount assembly. In another example, the non-reworkable process of ball swaging adds gram and static attitude variation caused by deformation of the baseplate during swaging. The gram and static attitude variation impacts overall system performance.
Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to these and other problems, and offer other advantages over the prior art.